Background

James A. Forte was born on April 12, 1951, in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States to the family of Angelo Forte who worked as a pizza maker and Florence Forte, a social worker.

Education

James attended Regis High School in New York. After high school, he studied psychology at Fordham University. In 1973 Forte graduated with a bachelor's degree and continued education at Virginia Commonwealth University. The master's degree he received in 1978 was followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in 1990.

Career

James Angelo Forte started to work being a student. In 1977 he became an outreach worker at Operation Nutrition Alert and a group facilitator for an education-of-self program at Virginia Commonwealth University. In a year, he was appointed to field instructor in social work at his alma mater and, in addition to it, joined Daily Planet Community and Counseling Center as a social worker.

In the period from 1980 to 1988, Forte served as executive director of Daily Planet Community and Counseling Center, founded Emergency Shelter Incorporation, Freedom House Soup Kitchen, and Richmond Street Center, managed group services at Richmond Community Diversionary Incentive Program, was a member of adjunct summer faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and a group facilitator at Henrico Court Alternative Program, volunteered for Ronald McDonald House, volunteer, and served as a research assistant for Henrico Mental Health and Mental Retardation Agency.

In 1990 Dr. Forte joined Christopher Newport University as associate professor of social work where later he took charge of the social work program. Since 2002, Forte has been a Professor at the Department of Social Work at Salisbury University.

In 2001 Professor published his first book Theories for Practice: Symbolic Interactionist Translations. It should be noted, that Forte has a special interest in symbolic interactionism theory use and has written on the history of partnerships between interactionists and social workers, on interactionist metatheory, and on applied symbolic interactionism. His other interests include the use of social and behavioral theories, the history of collaboration between pragmatists, interactionists, and social workers, the membership perspective of social work practice, policy advocacy and community service, constructionist models of personal and public problem solving, and theorizing competencies and processes.

Forte's second book, Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Models, Metaphors, and Maps for Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Practice introduced a set of four theory translation tools and translated ten major theoretical languages for use by social workers. Professor Forte has been teaching human behavior classes (development across the life course, theory survey, and macro content) for more than 15 years. Besides, he is an active and highly regarded workshop presenter. He had led over 45 workshops in the last decade at international, national, regional, and local conferences and continuing education venues.

Professor Forte has recently published two new books. Multi-Theoretical Social Work: Translating Theories for Practice provides knowledge and learning opportunities equipping the reader to use competently fourteen different theoretical frameworks to guide each phase of the planned change process. Practical Theorizing: Skills for Deconstructing, Reconstructing, and Critiquing Theories includes lessons preparing the practitioner to deconstruct the elements of existing theories, reconstruct theories and their elements for practical use, and construct middle range causal and interpretive theories. The book also includes lessons readying the reader to think critically about theories for practice using scientific norms, professional standards, and practical considerations.

Achievements

• James Forte has received teaching awards including the President's Award for Outstanding Teaching from Christopher Newport University in 1996 and the Outstanding Virginia Social Work Educator Award in 1994.
  
  Forte also leads a national group of educators who have been studying the Human Behavior in the Social Environment course and innovative ways to organize and to teach this content.

Works

More photos

• book

  • An Introduction to Using Theory in Social Work Practice

    (An Introduction to Using Theory in Social Work Practice e...)

    2014
  • Theories for Practice: Symbolic Interactionist Translations

    (Theoreticians associated with different schools of though...)

    2001
  • Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Models, Metaphors, and Maps for Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Practice

    (This first edition theories-based book for human behavior...)

    2006
  • Skills for Using Theory in Social Work: 32 Lessons for Evidence-Informed Practice

    (Using theory, research evidence and experiential knowledg...)

    2014

Membership

• National Association of Social Workers

  1990 - present

• Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction

• Society for Social Work and Research

• Society for the Study of Social Problems

• Sociological Practice Association

• Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups

• Council on Social Work Education

  2000 - present

• American Association of University Professors

• Social Welfare Alliance

• Baccalaureate Program Directors Association

  2001 - present

• Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal

• Virginia Social Work Education Consortium

• Amnesty International

• Phi Kappa Phi

Interests

• Movies, music, Apple computers, social advocacy

• Sport & Clubs

  Kayaking

• Music & Bands

  Paul McCartney, Louise Anderson and Diana Wagner, Sonni G & the Basement Boys

Connections

On May 8, 1979, James married Eileen Gilheany.

Father:

Angelo Forte

Mother:

Florence Quinn Forte

Spouse:

Eileen Gilheany

colleague:

Mathew J. Corrigan

References

• Official web-site